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Guests, Professionals, and Performers by Announcement Date

Announced: 01/15/2019

Griffin BarberGriffin Barber writes all over the place, most notably in Eric Flint's 1632 series, but also in several anthologies across the spectrum of speculative fiction.

Ed BrissonEd Brisson is a comic book writer who first started to garner attention with his self-published crime series Murder Book and the crime/time-travel thriller series Comeback. He’s written and co-created four other series published by Image: Sheltered, The Field, The Mantle and The Violent.

Rudy CamposFor the last 5 years, Rudy Campos of Rcc Creations has been traveling to cons to teach makeup, fx , and bodypaint techniques to cosplayers, both new and seasoned.

J.F. HolmesJ.F. Holmes was a 2017 two-time Dragon Award finalist and writes military science fiction. He is a retired US Army soldier and Iraq War veteran.

Kristin JacksonKristin Jackson is an accomplished print and digital designer, working in the film industry as an artist, set photographer, and social media manager.

Charlie KaufmanCharlie Kaufman has worked in extensively in environmental consulting and academia where he studied coastal erosion, and natural disaster impacts. He currently works in the emergency management field.

Sue KisenwetherSue Kisenwether has been podcasting about sci-fi TV and movies since 2010. Currently, she co-hosts Women at Warp on the Roddenberry Podcast Network.

Jorge MolinaJorge Molina is a Mexican comic artist and illustrator. He has been working exclusively with Marvel for the past couple of years, drawing titles such as A- Force, Star Wars, X-Men Blue, and many more. He is the current artist for the latest spidey event, Spiddergedon.

Michael R BaileyMichael Bailey has hosted or co-hosted such podcasts as Views From The Longbox, From Crisis to Crisis, Overlooked Dark Knight, It All Comes Back To Superman, and Bailey’s Batman Podcast.

Bobby BlackwolfBobby Blackwolf is the co-owner of the Voice of Geeks Network podcast network, and has hosted a live internet radio show and podcast about video games since 2005.

Patricia BriggsPatricia is the bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha and Omega series. She has published 26 books and has short stories in several anthologies, as well as a series of comic books and graphic novels based on both of her series.

Rachel CaineRachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon Charts, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of more than 50 novels, including the internationally bestselling Morganville Vampires, Stillhouse Lake, Weather Warden, and Great Library series. She's written in many genres and categories.

Keith R.A. DeCandidoKeith R.A. DeCandido has written an appalling amount of fiction, both in 30+ media tie-in universes from Alien to Zorro, and in worlds of his own creation in the fictional cities of Cliff's End and Super City and the somewhat real cities of New York and Key West.

Amanda DeWeesAmanda DeWees’s novels of Victorian gothic suspense include With This Curse, winner of the 2015 Daphne du Maurier Award for historical mystery/suspense.

Margaret Downey-SchottmillerMargaret Downey created a character known as The Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Nurse in order to teach critical thinking skills every Friday-the-Thirteenth. Margaret Downey founded the Freethought Society (FS) and the Anti-Discrimination Support Network (ADSN) in 1993. In 1994 Margaret founded the Thomas Paine Memorial Committee.

Kacey EzellKacey Ezell is a USAF helicopter pilot who writes sci-fi/fantasy/alt history. She was a Dragon Award finalist in 2018, and her stories have twice been featured in Baen’s Year’s Best Mil/Adventure SF compilation. In 2018, her story won the 2018 Baen Reader’s Choice Award.

Bill FawcettBill Fawcett & Associates has packaged and edited over 400 Science Fiction novels, two Navy SEALs histories and other military titles. He co-authored Mycroft Holmes Mysteries and has written numerous non-fiction books, many on great mistakes in Hhistory. He was a founder of Mayfair Games and still designs board and computer games.

Nicole GugliucciProfessor, astronomer, education researcher, maker-of-tiny-comets, and all around geek, Dr. Nicole Gugliucci has made it her mission to study and share the Universe.

Scott HannaAn Eisner Award-winning artist in the graphic novel industry, Scott Hanna has been drawing and inking comic books for over 30 years. His work has been published in over 1,000 comics and graphic novels, and he’s inked over 23,000 pages of comics art.

John G. HartnessJohn G. Hartness is an author, publisher, and podcaster from Charlotte, NC. He is the author of multiple novel series, co-founder and publisher of Falstaff Books, and a member of the Authors & Dragons podcast. He spends far too much time and money playing Magic: the Gathering.

Lucas HernandezLucas Hernandez is a Lead Educator at The Florida Aquarium. His programs use pop culture as a medium for education. He is the co-host of The Science of Pokemon podcast.

Rob LevyRob Levy is a pop culture writer, blogger, podcaster, and contributor to needcoffee.com, anglotopia.net, and other websites. Since 1995 he has hosted Juxtaposition on KDHX Radio.

Jonathan MaberryJonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and comic book writer. He writes the Joe Ledger thrillers, the Rot & Ruin series, the Nightsiders series, the Dead of Night series, as well as standalone novels in multiple genres.

Mari MancusiMari Mancusi is a multiple Emmy award-winning TV producer and author of more than two dozen sci-fi/fantasy books for kids, teens, and adults including Gamer Girl, the Scorched series, The Blood Coven Vampires, and her newest series, The Camelot Code: The Once and Future Geek, published by Disney Books

Gail Z. MartinGail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, and Falstaff Books. Series include Darkhurst, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, the Assassins of Landria, the Night Vigil, and Deadly Curiosities.

Mark MeerMark Meer stars as the voice of Commander Shepard, Blasto, Niftu Cal, the Vorcha, and more in Bioware's Mass Effect Trilogy. Other voice work includes the Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age series, Hinterland Studio's The Long Dark, 1980's horror homage Slayaway Camp, and Chapterhouse Studio's Captain Canuck animated series.

James A. MooreJames A. Moore is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 40 novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls,and his most recent novels, The Tides of War series and Avengers: Infinity.

Mohamed A NoorMohamed Noor is a professor of biology and Dean of Natural Sciences at Duke University. He is an avid Star Trek fan who talks about science in science fiction.

Diana PeterfreundDiana Peterfreund is the author of over two dozen books for adults, teens, and children, including the Omega City series for kids, the Killer Unicorns series for teens, the upcoming Clue novels, and the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion: For Darkness Shows the Stars.

Cherie PriestCherie Priest is the author of two dozen books and novellas, most recently The Agony House, Family Plot, and the hit YA project I Am Princess X. She is perhaps best known for the steampunk pulp adventures of the Clockwork Century, beginning with Boneshaker.

Richard SaundersRichard Saunders starred as the Skeptical Judge on the TV show The One: The Search for Australia's Most Gifted Psychic. He is the host of the weekly podcast The Skeptic Zone, in its 11th year. An origami expert and children’s author, CSI Fellow, and life member of Australian Skeptics.

Scott Sigler#1 New York Times bestselling author Scott Sigler is the creator of 15 novels, six novellas, and dozens of short stories. He gives away his stories as weekly, serialized, audiobooks, with over 40 million episodes downloaded. Scott launched his career by releasing his novels as author-read podcasts.

Scott SutherlandScott Sutherland is a meteorologist and science writer with Canada's The Weather Network, where he is an expert regarding weather, climate change, space weather, astronomy, space exploration and science.

Mark H WandreyBestselling author of military sci-fi and zombie apocalypse, Mark Wandrey has been creating new worlds since he was old enough to hold a pen. Three time Dragon Award finalist as well as author of 16 novels and growing, he’s just getting started.

Jean Marie WardJean Marie Ward writes fiction, nonfiction and everything in between. Her credits include a multi-award nominated novel, two popular art books and editing CrescentBlues.com. Her short stories have appeared in ASIMOV’s and numerous anthologies, and her video interviews are featured on BuzzyMag.com.

David WeberDavid Weber has perpetrated over 60 solo and collaborative novels and an unconscionable number of anthologies upon an innocent and unsuspecting public. He is perhaps best known for his character Honor Harrington, whom he hopes never to meet in a dark alley.

Bryan YoungBryan Young is an author, screenwriter, and novelist. He's also renowned for his work in the Star Wars universe. Most recently, he's the co-author of the new Robotech RPG.

JC De La TorreJC De La Torre is a screenwriter, award-winning filmmaker, and voice actor. DeLaTorre co-wrote, produced, and directed Seekers of the Lost Worlds and created the animated series Star Mage.

Clay GilbertSince 2013, Clay Gilbert has been a professional editor and author of science fiction, horror, and urban fantasy. He has published eight novels.

Thomas MarianiThomas Mariani is a writer and host of the podcast Double Edged Double Bill. He is a born geek with a bit of nerd mixed in there.

Ryan A ConsellRyan Consell is an acclaimed theorist on the science of fiction. He has consulted on such titles as The Science of Game of Thrones and has spoken at many events.

Jason CordovaJason Cordova is best known for his popular Kin Wars Saga series. He was also featured in the Black Tide Rising anthology and the Forged in Blood anthology.

Ben DavisDr. Ben has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and an M.S. in Nuclear Astrophysics from the University of Notre Dame. He is a professor of mathematics, programming, astronomy and physics.

Andy DykesAndy Dykes is a real, live rocket scientist who flies satellites for a living and has supported all kinds of manned and unmanned space flight at NASA.

Marc Alan EdelheitBestselling Author, Marc Alan Edelheit writes military science fiction and fantasy. He authored the award-winning Chronicles of An Imperial Legionary Office Series and Tales of the Seventh.

Kevin EldridgeKevin Eldridge produces and hosts The Flopcast, a weekly pop culture comedy podcast. He is also an author of sci-fi stories, an organizer for Boston Skeptics, and a comedy musician.

Michael FalknerMichael Falkner is a writer and podcaster who runs the Timestamps Project. He is a host of The Weekly Podioplex as well as Who’s the Doctor: Talking Outside the Box.

Emily A FinkeA forensic anthropologist by training, but a science communicator by passion, Emily Finke has spent the past 20 years teaching in museums, nature centers, pubs, conventions, and more.

Declan FinnDeclan Finn is a three-time Dragon Award finalist, known for his urban fantasy series Live and Let Bite, and his Pius thrillers, published by Silver Empire Press.

John L. FlynnDr. John L. Flynn is author, screenwriter, and three-time Hugo nominee. His recent book, Intimate Bondage, has spawned a series and likely a big screen adaptation, based upon his screenplay.

Marina FontaineMarina Fontaine is an author of Chasing Freedom (a 2016 Dragon Awards finalist) and The Product, a dystopian novella. She also contributed short stories to several themed anthologies.

Rick GualtieriGamer, geek, and writer; Rick Gualtieri is the author of over two dozen novels, including the bestselling Tome of Bill horror/comedy series.

Tony P HendersonTony P. Henderson is the creator, producer of numerous podcasts including his flagship show, the Geek Vs podcast. which spans over 250 episodes over the past 5 years.

K. M. HerkesKaren Morris Herkes writes and publishes science fiction and fantasy. Before settling down to write full time, she earned a degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame.

Walter H. HuntWalter H. Hunt is a science and historical fiction writer. He currently collaborates with Eric Flint on Ring of Fire related and other projects, and has two novels with Ring of Fire Press.

Kevin IkenberryKevin Ikenberry is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and sci-fi writer. He is the author of The Protocol War series and the Peacemaker novels in the bestselling Four Horsemen Universe.

Alan IsomAlan Isom began his adventure with science fiction and fantasy literature as it should begin: with JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The Cayn Trilogy is his first published fantasy work.

Chris A JacksonChris Jackson is an author of over 20 novels in fantasy, sci-fi, and horror, including Pirate’s Prophecy, Watery Graves, The Deep Gate, Dragon, and the bestselling Weapon of Flesh series.

John Hornor JacobsJohn Hornor Jacobs is the award-winning author of Southern Gods, This Dark Earth, and The Incorruptibles. His fiction has appeared in Playboy Magazine, Cemetery Dance, and Apex Magazine.

Chris KennedyA Dragon Award finalist, sci-fi/fantasy author, speaker, and small-press publisher, Chris Kennedy has written 20 books and published more than 50 others.

Roy KilgardDr. Kilgard is an astrophysicist who researches black holes in nearby galaxies with an emphasis on intermediate-mass black holes: an enigmatic class of objects whose origins are unclear.

Aleron KongDoctor by day, author by night, Dr. Aleron Kong is known for his bestselling series The Land which has sold over 500,000 copies.

Dakota KroutA best-selling author of fantasy and LitRPG, Dakota Krout is a full-time author and indie publisher. His debut novel, Dungeon Born, was in the top 5 fantasy audiobooks of 2017.

Steph LaMassaAstrophysicist Steph LaMassa works at the Space Telescope Science Institute on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Her research focuses on the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes.

L. Jagi LamplighterL. Jagi Lamplighter is an author of fantasy and YA novels. She also edits for Superversive Press and is a founding member of the Superversive Literary Movement.

J.F. LewisAlabama madman J. F. Lewis is the internationally published author of The Void City series and the Grudgebearer Trilogy. He writes books that get him into trouble.

Tara LynneTara Lynne is an author, event planner, fandom and geek culture expert, and public speaker. She founded Ice and Fire Con and co-hosts the webcast FEELINGS...with The Geekiary.

Lisa ManifoldLisa Manifold is a USA Today bestselling author of the The Realm series, Sisters of the Curse series, the Djinn Everlasting series, the Aumahnee Prophecy series, and The Dragon Thief.

Mike MassaMike Massa draws upon his experience as a Navy SEAL, banker, and technologist to write exciting SFF. His solo novel The Genius War is available in 2020.

Misty MasseyMisty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel, a rollicking high seas fantasy, the sequel Kestrel’s Dance, and the Shadow Council Dead Man novellas featuring Doc Holliday.

Bill MulliganBill Mulligan works as a special effects technician, writer, director, actor and producer. He is a contributing writer to Gruesome magazine and the Decades of Horror podcast.

Amy J. MurphyAmy J. Murphy wields this power to write kick-butt space opera, most notably the Allies and Enemies series, which was a Dragon Award Finalist.

Corinne O'FlynnCorinne O'Flynn is a USA Today bestselling author of The Expatriates, Witches of Tower Hill, and the Aumahnee Prophecy series. She is also a publisher with Wicked Ink Books.

Joshua PalmatierJoshua Palmatier has published the Throne of Amenkor series, the Well of Sorrows series, and the Ley series. He is the founder/owner of the small press Zombies Need Brains LLC.

James PalmerJames Palmer is an award-nominated writer of science fiction, pulp adventure, steampunk, space opera, and more. He has written for Falstaff Books, Moonstone, Airship 27, and much, much more.

Aleta PardalisAleta Pardalis has been designing and creating costumes for over 15 years. She specializes in steampunk adaptations of pop culture characters. She loves teaching people about costume design and history.

Sean M. PattonSean Michael Patton is a 20+ year costume design veteran and has designed more than 40 stage productions, eight short films, five features, and numerous media projects.

Rob RobertsRob Roberts is an internet broadcasting veteran and co-creator of Orange Lounge Radio, the longest running weekly show about video games online since 2002.

Christopher RuocchioChristopher Ruocchio is the author of The Sun Eater, a space opera fantasy series from DAW Books. He is also the Assistant Editor at Baen Books.

Tina Hesman SaeyTina Hesman Saey is the senior science writer at Science News magazine. She covers things that contain DNA and a few that don't.

Tamsin L. SilverTamsin Silver is a fantasy author with books such as Mark of the Necromancer, The Windfire Series, Weird of the West, and a web series, Skye of the Damned.

Shawnee SmallShawnee Small is a USA Today bestselling author and creator of the Shining Ones. She is currently working on several projects including the last installment in the Shining Ones saga.

SpacedockDaniel Orrett is the presenter of the popular science fiction web series Spacedock which currently boasts 140,000 subscribers and almost 25,000,000 views (October 2018).

The Wicked TailorFrank T. Puricelli, "The Wicked Tailor," is a professional costume and prop maker from Charleston, SC. He has been producing national award-winning costumes and movie grade props since 2010.

R.R. VirdiR.R. Virdi is a two-time Dragon Award-nominated author for Best Fantasy. He writes two multiple award-nominated urban fantasy series, the Shepherd of Light space western series, and Monster Slayer Online.

Dave WestDave West is a writer, interviewer, and podcaster who also hosts game shows, wrestling events, and rock concerts as his alter ego, Phantom Troublemaker.

Michael George WilliamsMichael G. Williams is an award-winning author of novels and short stories. Williams’s best-known works are The Withrow Chronicles, A Fall in Autumn, and Shadow Council Archives: Emperor Norton.

Christopher Woods2018 Dragon Award finalist Christopher Woods is a writer known for his Soulguard series and for being an author in the Four Horsemen Universe.

David BoopDavid Boop is a Denver-based author/editor. His novels include She Murdered Me with Science, and many shorts work featuring media tie-ins for Predator, The Green Hornet, and Veronica.

Bethany BrookshireBethany Brookshire is a neuroscientist and an award-winning science writer and video host at Science News. She's written for multiple publications and hosts the podcast Science for the People.

Aaron CrashAaron Crash is the co-author of the War God’s Mantle series and the author of the American Dragon series, both bestsellers. His books have broken into Amazon’s Top 100.

Caroline RatajskiCaroline Ratajski is a senior software engineer at Twitch, as well as a writer. At Twitch she works on content discoverability, helping connect streamers and viewers.

Bill KeelAstronomer Bill Keel, author of The Sky at Einstein's Feet and The Road to Galaxy Formation, has appeared at Dragon Con since 2004. He hosts annual overnight Live Astronomy sessions and has spoken on cosmology, extrasolar planets, citizen discovery in astronomy, science in pop-culture universes, spy satellites, and astronomical tourism.

Thomas E. SniegoskiThomas E. Sniegoski is a New York Times bestselling author of books for adults, children, and teens. He is also a comic book scripter who has worked for just about every major comic book publisher and is the author of the ground-breaking teen series The Fallen.

Michael Z. WilliamsonMichael Z. Williamson is a multiple bestselling, award winning author and editor in science fiction and a #1 Amazon bestseller in political humor. An immigrant from the UK and Canada, he served 25 years in the US Army and USAF. Williamson also consults on TV and movie productions.